Rick Schroder biography

Born in Staten Island, New York, Rick Schroder began modeling and acting in commercials when he was only three months old. By the time he landed his breakthrough role in The Champ (1979) at the age of eight, he’d appeared in almost 60 commercials and had been "the Kodak boy," appearing in numerous print ads. For his audition with The Champ’s director, Franco Zefferelli, the man told the skinny little boy he had chubby cheeks. Rick shot back, "Well, you’re not so thin yourself." His toughness charmed the director, and helped him win the role. Rick (or Ricky, as he was known then) stole the film from his co-stars, Jon Voight and Faye Dunaway. He became an instant star, as people marvelled at how much emotion the small boy put into his role, especially the film’s heart-wrenching final scene. He won a well-deserved Golden Globe award for "New Star of the Year in a Motion Picture."

He followed this success with a variety of roles, including The Last Flight of Noah’s Ark (1980), starring opposite Elliott Gould and Genèvieve Bujold and The Earthling (1980) with William Holden. He became good friends with Holden and later would name one of his children after the actor. The same year, Schroder starred opposite Alec Guinness in the CBS-TV movie Little Lord Fauntleroy, playing to perfection the innocent little boy raised on the streets of New York who suddenly finds himself a Lord, but who never forgets to treat all people, no matter what their station in life, with respect. In 1982, Rick found himself starring on the sitcom Silver Spoons. The show ran five years, bringing him through the awkward teenage years when many child stars drop out of sight. During this time, the blond, cherubic-faced youngster became a teen idol, with teen magazines featuring articles and color posters of the young star.

Schroder worked steadily through the years, appearing in the Emmy award-winning mini-series Lonesome Dove, TV movies and independent films, but his star seemed to be fading when suddenly, he landed a role on the hit drama series NYPD Blue. He once again became a household name and his face graced the cover of TV magazines. However, as with the actors before him, Schroder opted to stay with the show only for a few years.

Schroder and his wife, Andrea, whom he married in 1992, live in Grand Junction, Colorado on a 15,000-acre working ranch with their four children: Holden Richard, Luke William, Cambrie and Faith Anne. He continues to act in feature films.